A Beginning, but not an end
by Vrnglr
Summary: It was neither a beginning nor an end. Yet there was a beginning for some. The Elemental Nations and the Western Provinces started as a hope to create a balance between good and evil. Now With Tarmon Gai'don approaching, an isolated land is drawn into a conflict it had no wish to participate in. After being torn by war for generations, leaving peace may prove a difficult choice.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own neither Naruto, nor The Wheel of Time. They are owned by their respective owners. This is merely an adaptation based on the two sources.

A great gust of wind suddenly blew at the walking man, almost knocking off his hat. Using his staff, he righted himself and continued on his trek. The land, moaning and groaning from the onslaught done by the One Power, sent the occasional shock wave of energy out. Who knew that the Dark One could have put such a backlash on _saidin_ after his sealing? Lews Therin and the hundred companions almost immediately became insane on the spot from the taint; spreading death and chaos with their new found insanity across the world. But such dark thoughts only deter people from their goals. The cloaked man shuddered at the thought; he himself wielded the _saidin_, the male half of the One Power.

Trekking through the narrow mountain trail was harsh he soon realized. Rocks were falling constantly from above, ledges fell away at his feet, and the occasional shock wave of energy from the constant earthquakes could knock off a lesser man. However, he was not a lesser man, for he had a goal.

His goal, while insane, could prove tremendously helpful for the land and people. The island, while large in itself, was only a fraction of the world. The great cites had already fallen to the madness of the male Aes Sedai, males who could wield _saidin_, driving the populations off into the wilderness. Still, his main goal was to unite the One Power and the True Power wielded by the Dark One's followers into one source. The idea itself was so daring and farfetched that he was already labeled insane by the remaining Aes Sedai, both male and female. His hypothesis was that if the two powers were to be united, a balance of sorts could be created. With the new power, he would unleash it onto the land and people, hopefully stopping the madness. He also hoped that through the unleashing of power, he could cure the land from the taints spread by the Dark One's followers, and dare he say it, also transform the populace into a new breed of men and women. He sighed, although his hypothesis was a good and well, it was just that; a hypothesis. If no action was taken, it would remain only ideas and delusions of grandeur.

Spying his destination off in the distance, he hurried his pace. One could only be so careful in times like this.

Arriving at his destination, the man looked around. It was a rather impressive sight. He was at the peak of the highest mountain in the land, overlooking the valley below. Surveying the valley, he watched as fires, earthquakes, and tidal waves consumed the place. It was a very depressing sight to behold. A once prosperous land reduced to such a state could drive any man into a deep depression. Yet, it was that very reason that drove him to attempt such a daring solution.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed and then slowly spun into a circle. From the circle, a similarly clad woman emerged.

"Took you long enough to show up Saturi," said the man. "Well Ashgaru, I had to make the final preparations for the upcoming experiment," replied Saturi. "It's not an experiment! It is a dawn of a new era. One in which peace and harmony would prevail. The balance would be restored with the combining of the True Power and the One Power," replied Ashgaru. "Well, if you're so adamant in continuing on with your foolish ideals, then go ahead," said Saturi. "Bah, you will see soon enough just how true my words would be." replied Ashgaru.

Pausing for a moment, he looked at Saturi. He observed how she was trying to contain her laughter from the parley of words. Sighing, he shook his head and spoke, "Do you have the necessary items?" Saturi looked amused, then reached to her side and took the satchel that she had with her. "They are right here," she said while tossing the satchel to Ashgaru. He looked at the satchel, paused, and then opened it. Reaching into the Satchel, he pulled out two figurines. One was a man holding a sphere, the other a female also holding a sphere. Both hummed with a distinct feeling of power.

"My, you did manage to obtain two items of power. My only question though is how did you ever manage to obtain these two _ter'angreal_?" Ashgaru said while observing the figurines. The woman gave a snort. "It wasn't easy I tell you. I found them in a crumbling house, hidden among other figurines. The place mind you was also crawling with Trollocs and Myrddraal."

Still observing the figurines, Ashgaru grew lost in the fine intricacy and detail that the two items were created with. While it wasn't his own work, he still had to admit the detail and thought put into the making of the two figurines. Sighing, he broke his gaze from the _ter'angreal_ and looked at Saturi.

"Well, it's good that you got these two, after all, they do connect to the two largest _sa'angreal_ in ever built. My dream is one step closer to being complete. With these we can draw so much more of the power that we can do this adequately." He looked one last time at the figurines, before handing the female one to Saturi. Nodding his head in self reassurance, he looked ahead again to see the valley torn by the elements. With no other distraction he looked back at Saturi and said, "Let's make the bond; we have wasted enough time as it is musing over the items."

Saturi nodded her head in confirmation, and embraced _saidir_ through the ter'angreal. Weaving spirit, she formed the bond with Ashgaru. Ashgaru, feeling the touch of _saidir_, seized _saidin_ through his _ter'angreal_. Finishing the bond, he looked at Saturi. Without even the need of asking, she gave control to Ashgaru. Sensing that he now had control, Ashgaru settled down on the ground and sighed, possibly for the last time. He then started to draw massive amounts of the One Power from both _saidin_ and _saidir_. Weaving the two sources, he crafted a complex net in front of himself. With the net made of the One Power, he drew from the dark taint massive amounts of the True Power, effectively weakening the taint to a point of almost non-existence. However, that was not his goal. With the three powers, he wove an intricate flow, weaving the three powers into one. This proved to be harder as the True Power required much more will to force it into the weave.

It was very tiring work. Great amounts of sweat started to pour from Ashgaru. A moan from beside of him drew his attention. Saturi, having drawn so much of the One Power, was almost at her limit. With lightning flashing across the sky, illuminating the mountain in a holy light, caused much destruction in the nearby area. It was almost an awesome sight to behold, the power of the forces taking place on that one mountain top.

Still weaving the three powers Ashgaru was nearing completion. With the final weave put into place, he hesitated. Right before him was the most entwined and complex weave he had ever seen, or so much made. The power before him now held great potential, or the end and doom of everything he knew. With a grunt, he resolved that since he got this far with his dream, he would push on. Starting to channel the power through himself, he flung the power into the world, binding everything in existence. From wind to earth, water to lightning, animal to human, all was touched and embraced in the weave.

With a great roar, he set the weave in place and activated it. For a moment, nothing stirred, nothing spoke or made noise. A great stillness and silence swept over the land. It was a tranquil peace, if only for a mere moment. Then, a great pain, like nothing he ever imagined came upon him. The world shook and groaned as the weave started to take into effect.

Far away from the world, overlooking it in fact was the Great Wheel, which spun the pattern itself. With a great shudder, the wheel started to break apart. Yet just as it was to break, it stopped its shuddering. A great rip could be heard as the pattern itself split into two different sized pieces. The larger of the two continued on its normal path. The other however, entwined its way around the larger, still apart, but not fully attached. It was Different now, new in fact. The energy which went across the land that was woven by Ashgaru shaped the very pattern itself. It now caused their part of the pattern to be separated from the main for a while. But just as a new color can be added to a weave, so too did the new pattern became an addition to the old. Almost as a new trend. The new pattern was woven in new ways not seen before into the existing pattern.

Coming back to Ashgaru, the pain continued. It bored into his connection toward _saidin_, cutting him from it. In effect, it gentled him. Then, a new energy filled him, one that was more pure than the old one. It seemed to comprise of two parts, though he was not sure of it now. He also felt the new energy filling Saturi, who after the setting of the weave passed out from exhaustion. He did notice that Saturi's level of the new energy was smaller than his. All of a sudden, a great pain went into his eyes blinding him. It twisted and turned, but just as suddenly as it came, it left. Having no more energy, Ashgaru fell to the ground with a thud. Without even a shudder, he fell unconscious. The power usage from before finally took its toll upon the man.

Across the world earthquakes stopped, fires suddenly went out, and tidal waves shuddered and fell for the last time. The people, also affected by the weave of power fell unconscious, burning from the effects of the weave, being filled with the new power which combined itself into their very life-forces. The nature around hummed and began to go on with a new power. Animals stopped and shuddered, then went about again with new energy in their soul. Some however paused, a new feeling overcoming them. They were now made aware of their surroundings; of themselves. It was a new sensation for them. Nothing like it had ever happened before. Some went on with what they were originally doing. Others however started to ponder their existence.

One entity though didn't pause; it went onward on its path of destruction. It towered over the land, as massive as a smaller mountain. It had ten tails, one eye with several tome going about it, a shell with spikes going across the top, and two massive hands. It now had a mind, that much it knew, but the entity also knew that it had only one purpose, to destroy all that was evil. The evil before it was the remnants off the Trollocs that were left in the land. It now had more purpose, and for the first time in its life, it smiled.

A man arrived at the mountain, coming from the gateway which he made. Feeling such a power in the south, he could not tell where it was until after he searched the southern lands. Yet, after the realization came to him, the massive power usage stopped. It was then that he decided to investigate the most southern continent. Tracing residual levels of power, he finally pinpointed the location to this mountain.

He saw a man and a woman before him lying on the ground unconscious. Sighing, the man concluded that nothing important had happened yet, but he was determined to find out. Walking towards the man, who was lying face down; he stopped just as he reached at the feet of the man. Bending down, he reached over and turned the man to get look at his face. What surprised him was who the man was. It was none other than Ashgaru Jarta Uzaju, high researcher of the most southern chapter of the _Aes Sedai_. If anything involving this man happened here, it was well worth the trouble to come.

Uzaju himself developed many weapons and technologies during the War of Power. His creations were feared by all the Dark Ones troops, human and nonhuman alike. Only after a raid on his laboratories near the end of the war, was he put to a stop. During the raid, it was thought that Uzaju was killed in the collapse of the laboratories. Certainly he himself thought it was true as he celebrated his death with a passion. Now, seeing him lying here was troublesome and worrying.

Looking over, he spotted the woman. As soon as he recognized the face, he palled. If dealing with Uzaju was bad enough, the woman made it twice as worse. The woman, Saturi Froeling Handa, was the high researcher in the far north. She was Ashgaru's equal when it came to creating new technologies and weapons. In fact both researchers rivaled Aginor himself in the field of science.

The man, determined to find out exactly what just happened at this place, started to shake Ashgaru in an attempt to wake him up. What the man found strange though was that the power he felt from the man differed from his. It was neither _saidin_ nor the True Power. Thinking on it, the man decided to ignore it. It would soon prove to be his worst mistake yet.

As Ashgaru started to come around, he noticed that he was not alone. A hand was roughly pushing him awake. Deciding that the enough was enough, he pushed the hand away and responded, "I'm awake, I'm awake. Man Saturi, you don't hav…" "Well you are finally up I see. Now, would you please tell me ever so kind as to what has happened her?" intervened a man's voice. Ashgaru startled, opened his eyes and finally gazed upon the man in front of him. The man cloaked in black with red lining, stood before him in a manner which spoke of authority.

Looking upon the man's face, Ashgaru paled at the sight. Before him stood Elan Morin Tedronai, or more commonly known as Ishamael the Betrayer of Hope. Having thought that the thirteen most powerful followers, Ishamael included, were imprisoned with the Dark One at the sealing, seeing the most powerful certainly did not bode well for him and his goals. His thought were voiced as "You! How did you escape the sealing?" Ishamael replied, "I am sealed yet not sealed. Merely given periodic freedom as the harbinger of the Dark One in this world. And as I asked you before, what did you do here. Also, what happened to your eyes?"

Ashgaru, curious as to what Ishamael was pertaining to, took out a small mirror from his pocket and gazed into it. His eyes had changed. The whites now were light purple, with the pupil being just a dot in the middle. Rings in the form of ripples went out from the eyes in even layers. Another thing he noticed though was that his vision had improved substantially. Whatever had happened to his eyes was maybe for the better.

Looking back at Ishamael he said, "I do not know what happened to my eyes. Also, I will tell you only one thing of what happened here." He paused for a moment, searching for the right words to describe what he had obviously achieved from his endeavor. "I… managed to combine _saidin_ and _saidir_ with the True Power, creating a balance for this land," he replied. Ishamael blanched, and then in a whisper replied, "You fool! Do you know what you could have done!? You could have broken the wheel in two, or even cause everything to cease to exist!"

After a moment to compose himself, Ishamael continued, "Seeing now that we still exist, I can only assume that you succeeded. Even your power has changed as it no longer feels like _saidin." _"I am going to have to kill you now, and then wipe this land from the pattern. You have created a thorn in my master's side, and now I will remove it," his final words were as he seized _saidin_ and started to weave flows of earth and fire.

Ashgaru seeing the flows become, instinctively put up his hand and willed the flows to cease. As he willed it, so too did the flows of earth and fire stop. Ishmael, stunned at the turn of events, continued onward and started to weave a new flow, one that cannot be stopped. Ashgaru seeing the ever so familiar weaves take place, did the only thing that seemed right. He lifted his right hand and said one word, "Grab." With a start, Ishamael was lifted from his spot and sped toward Ashgaru. Then with another flourish of hands, Ashgaru directed Ishamael into the edge of a cliff.

Ishamael now flattened across the rocks, looked up at Ashgaru and said, "What did you do?" Ashgaru, looking down at his hands, shook his head and replied, "I do not know, but I believe this is the end of your reign for now." With a final flourish, Ashgaru willed the earth to bind Ishamael into a coffin. Then he willed his energy into fire and poured it into the earthen coffin. With a final parting, Ashgaru said, "Goodbye betrayer of hope, I hope you have a very long respite. Explode." With that final word the earth and fire combined into a volatile mixture and combusted, sending up clouds of dust. After the dust cleared, nothing remained of the body of Ishamael.

A nearby groan came from the clearing. Ashgaru turned and saw that Saturi awakened from her exhaustion induced slumber. One thing he did notice right away that Saturi's eyes changed as well. They were now lavender, with no pupil. It almost looked as if she were blind, but the movement of her eyes told him otherwise. "Ashgaru, what happened? Did you succeed in your endeavor?" she asked as she tried to stand and gain her balance. Seeing as she could not stand alone, Ashgaru rushed to her side and helped her up. His reply was, "Yes, I did succeed in it. Your eyes partially tell of the success." Holding up the mirror he showed Saturi the changes. "What happens now, after all you did succeed were people thought you were insane," she said. Looking into the distance, Ashgaru replied, "I do not know, but first things first, we get down this mountain and rest. Then we experiment with this new power." Lifting up Saturi, he began to make the long trek down the mountain into a new world. One which he helped create.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or The Wheel of Time. They are owned by their respective owners and I am merely adapting their wonderful work.

_AN: hehe, Sorry for the long wait, I got bogged down with work and trips. Being out of state can really bring one's operations to a halt. My update schedule would preferably be once a week, but with my luck it should fall under sometime on Thursday. Now I thank you for the positive reviews. I will try to write as well as some other authors I have seen on this site, but will enjoy any good tips. Please review when you can._

**Chapter 1:**

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass leaving memories that become legend, then fade to myth, and are long forgot when that Age comes again. In one age, called the Third Age by some, and Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose on the Plains of Maredo. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings the turning off the Wheel of Time. But it was _a_ beginning.

Born on the windy plains, where neither man nor animal lived, the wind blew east toward the city of Tear. Howling across the battlements, the wind rose and fell with the buildings. Reaching the great Stone of Tear, it swept across a white banner with a creature that once existed ages past. The wind then turned south and blew across the Fingers of the Dragon; long windy straights of water leading to the Sea of Storms. Still further south it blew, across many rolling waves and treacherous storms, until it reached a land long forgotten, a land soon to be known.

South it blew still, passing forests and mountains, rivers and lakes. It blew among scars, both long past and newly made. The wind then turned east again, crossing great mountains, riddled with pockets of hidden life. Further east it blew among nations united till it reached the land of sound. There it blew to the ruins of a village destroyed in the last war, a village with hidden secrets.

A gust of wind blew the cloaked traveler. Pulling the cloak around even more to keep the chill away from his bones, the man looked left and right in hurried motions as if something would spring out of the ruined building and devour him. Trekking through the former Otogakure was dangerous at best. The village itself was founded by Orochimaru to bring in talented shinobi from the lands and also talented individuals to further the society in all manners. Little did they know the dark reasons of why they truly were brought to the hidden village.

Orochimaru had no intentions to further the society as a whole any time soon. His goal to learn all things in life involved gruesome experiments. Even if the village looked prosperous on the outside, underneath the village was a world of terror and horror. Many a man and woman died to the insane experiments of the man known throughout the elemental nations as Orochimaru the Snake Sannin. The village was razed to the ground during the 4rth Great Shinobi War, or also known as the War of Unification among the civilians. Orochimaru, having cheated death countless times, resurfaced again during the 4rth war. He sided with the Western Horde and created a great army of cursed warriors to use against the Allied nations. His armies were later defeated at the battle of Kenchi Bridge and not long after that, Otogakure was razed to the ground. Orochimaru died in the flaming ruins after being sealed by Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze into another dimension. However, the great evils done underneath the surface survived, and a new evil took up place in the holds of Otogakure.

The man, hurrying down a road came upon an entrance to the underground facilities. Wishing to be inside rather than brave the cold wind, and with darkness falling, the man hurried into the tunnel. Coming to a great door, he paused for a second to recollect his thoughts. After the brief moment of thinking he knocked on the door. A small slot opened and closed as quickly as it opened. Soon, with a groan, the door was moved partially opened by some men, and the cloaked man hurried inside quickly.

Having a sense of urgency, the man picked up his pace and started to head toward his destination. Darting left and right, up and down through the dimly lit passages, the man hurried along. Faint sounds of hammering could be heard as if an army was being created. Screams could be heard as well, though faint, telling the man that experiments were being conducted as well. Walking across a narrow bridge that spanned a deep crevice the man approached two guards guarding a door. The guards had metal plates strapped to their chests and legs. A Large round shield with a spike jutting out from the middle adorned their left hands and their right contained a scythe like sword, all made from a black metal. They towered over the cloaked man by almost two feet. The Guards bore a badge on their left shoulder. On the badge was a White Sound Note surrounded by two red ribbons. Though what really made them stand out was the curved horns that jutted from their heads. The heads also looked more like a cross between a bull and a human, having the all too intelligent human eyes and minor features.

The man shivered in fright. Coming from the North lands across the great sea, he recognized these creatures as Trollocs. Yet these, Trollocs were by far smarter and more cunning than any he had seen in the borderlands. Stopping in front of Trollocs, he spoke "I have important news for the master, please open the door and let me through." The guard to the left gave a snort and turned around and opened the door. The cloaked man darted quickly through the open door, least he be stuck outside with the Trollocs and possibly who knows what they do during their pastime.

Looking inside, the room was a bit spacious, several columns adorning the adjacent walls supporting the ceiling. A few tables were set here and there adorned with papers and books. A small set of stairs started near the end of the room and lead to a small throne like seat. Behind the seat was a door the lead directly into the living quarters of the Master. The "Master" as he was known was sitting in the seat reading what appeared to be a journal. Noticing the arrival of the cloaked man, the Master raised his head and looked at the cloaked man. The cloaked man quickly hurried to the foot of the stairs and kneeled. He soon spoke, "Master, I have returned from my inspection trip. I found out that the nearby towns to the south are ripe for picking. The people there are not too aware to our presence and the local legion is to soon celebrate the return of the General. I also found that the towns to the north have become aware of us and have sent dispatches to the local Legion to warn them of possible attacks. The forge camps are also running now at full capacity and are producing weapons and armor at a fevered pace."

The Master nodded his head at every piece of news the spy gave him. He closed his book and raised himself from the chair. He then started to walk to a nearby table. "This is all good news you bring, so a reward is needed for your services." The Master arrived at the table, took up a pen and started writing. "you will be rewarded 500,000 ryo, as the currency is here, and 400 marks of gold. Also as a boon, you may take one of the women stored in the cells for yourself," the Master spoke as a finished writing on the paper. "Take this paper to the treasurer and the warden, they will provide all that I said," said the Master as he turned around and gave the man the paper. The cloaked man stood and accepted the paper, and bowed afterwards. "You are most generous Master," was his reply.

"Good, I do not want my servants to feel cheated out. My other partners may have more crude means to incite obedience, but I hold firm to the belief that money and rewards hold more sway than a simple compulsion weave," the Master replied. "Now, I have a new task for you. I want you to take a small group of Trollocs and scout the southern lands. Note any major fortification and city, village and farm. I want a detailed report as we will start invading those lands first," said the Master as he turned back and went over to a nearby bookcase. The cloaked man bowed and said, "Of course my Master, I will start right away." With that, the cloaked man bowed again and went to the door to leave. The Guards outside opened the door and let the man go through.

The Master sighed. If only he did not get imprisoned at Shayol Ghul. In a blink of an eye, there went thousands of years of time. The Dark one was disappointed in him when he died at the eye of the world, but given a second chance through his resurrection as Osan'gar. Though, he stuck with the alias Master Ichama, a protégé of Orochimaru. At the thought of Orochimaru, he smirked. The man was much like himself, brilliant, a genius, and most important of all, a manipulator of genes. Oh how much he learned from the man through his journals and experiments. He perfected his Trollocs by using some of the "Uncorrupted" Trollocs as he now liked to call them. Oh who knew that this land also changed the very nature of his creations? They became almost a different race than of the Trollocs that he originally created. Now, he didn't even need to bread them, just create them from the test tubes. All thanks to the wonderful man known as Orochimaru.

His plans were going perfectly. The raids against the towns brought new test subjects and materials to feed his growing war machine. The task handed to him by the Dark One was simple. Go south to the lands he could not touch and recruit them through bribery or force to serve him. It was purely chance that he stumbled upon Orochimaru's hidden labs beneath the ruins of Otogakure. Now he chuckled, he can go and continue the study of what humans called chakra. It was an intriguing subject as he found out from Ishamael that it was a byproduct of an experiment done by Ashgaru Uzaju. Anything involving that man was well worth the interest.

As he prepared to go the labs, he called for a messenger. One of the guards in front came in an bowed. "Go and tell Gromggorg to take as many Trollocs he needs and take out the Legion base. They will be a menace to my plans if they continue to exist," he commanded the Trolloc. The Trolloc grunted and left to tell his commander the orders of Creator Ichama. Osan'gar watched as the Trolloc went to deliver the news. He smiled, everything was going to plan.

XXX

Naruto sighed once again as he trotted on the road. His Inspection tour took longer than expected since he ended up correcting many mistakes done by incompetent officers. Some of the militia he saw would not last moment against seasoned bandits, let alone of the mystery force that seemed to strike randomly across the country side hitting small farms and such. The people were scared nowadays, all due to some probably reclusive bandit group. The rumors he heard were as farfetched as they could possibly be. Men; with hooves and horns; that towered almost two feet above a regular man, rubbish is what he called it. Though he did take that the bandits could be a bit overly large, but that's about as much as he could take.

Gone was the brat the most people saw when he graduated from the Konoha ninja academy. Now the man the stood before them was powerful and handsome. Gone was the orange jumpsuit which he wore with a passion. It was now replaced with black samurai armor trimmed in orange, similar to the armor worn by the first and second Hokage and Madera Uchiha. On top of the armor was the cloak he used during the invasion of Konoha by the Akatsuki. On his back were two large sealing scrolls. A katana hung on his left side as well. He wore his Forehead Protector as did normally did only now the kanji for 3rd Legion was engraved instead of the leaf symbol he first had. He had on black ninja sandals and two kunai pouches strapped to the side of his legs.

Naruto was also riding a horse, a grey horse in fact. The new look came about during the 4rth Great War, when he was given command of the early legion in battle. The armor was renforced with seals, negating genjutsu and minor ninjutsu, and making it almost as hard as the best chakra enforced steel. The armor, while looking bulky, still gave him enough room to engage in taijutsu and close combat. It was an improvement from the flimsy jumpsuits he wore at the beginning of the war.

The 4rth Great War turned into a three year long blood bath. Most of the ninja died during the first two days, leaving only a fraction of the once great army. Obito Uchiha was initially defeated when the Jubi broke free from his grasp and rampaged across the battlefield. It was soon sealed by Naruto into a different dimension, and then further split again into the remaining tailed beasts. From there he left it into the hands of other seal masters as he had an Uchiha to track down. Obito fled through the Suna pass in the Kachein Mountains, into the Western Lands. There, he manipulated the various people into an alliance, calling themselves the Western Horde. They invaded the Elemental Nations through the Iwa and Suna passes. To top that, Orochimaru, resurrected by Sasuke Uchiha joined Obito and built a cursed army.

The Legion was the Land of Fire's response to the Western Horde. The Elemental Nations then formed an Alliance, creating the United Elemental Nations, and appointing the governing body in the Land of Iron. The Legion, trained by veteran warriors in group tactics, also with the armies of the United Elemental Nations, fought the Horde for a year.

The end was a brutal one, Otogakure was razed to the ground and Orochimaru was killed. Obito Uchiha was killed in the Western Lands when Naruto Himself led an expeditionary force across the Suna Pass. Sasuke Uchiha, now a wanted criminal, fled into the Western Lands to never be heard of again. The war ended in triumph for the newly created United Elemental Nations, leading to an era of peace. The Legion became the official military of the land of Fire, with it branching off into four sub-groups. The first through third legions protected the land of fire at its borders. The fourth legion protected the Fire Daimyo and the Capital of the Land of Fire. The ninja corps was integrated into the legion and Konohagakure was made the official headquarters of the Fire Legion.

Naruto was given command of the third legion, which protected the northern boundary of the land of Fire. Shikamaru Nara was given command of the fourth legion, Kakashi Hatake the second, and Shino Aburame the first. They all were under the Hokage, Tsunade Senju, and protected the Land of Fire.

Naruto looked behind him and saw his entourage of bodyguards. He smiled with pride. After assuming command of the third legion, he established his body guards as well as the vice generals who led the five cohorts of the third legion. Looking back ahead, he saw the forest clear and give way to a genially rising field. At the center of the field stood the third legion base camp, posing an impressive site to any newcomers.

The base is roughly square in shape. It has four watchtowers placed at the four corners of the area. A large wooden wall surrounded the camp, made from the very trees that they cleared to make room. The walls themselves were also reinforced by the best seals that the seal masters could create safely. A great gate stood in front of them, with two large red doors and an iron portcullis blocking the entrance. They were also reinforced by seals, to detect intruders and reinforce the steal and wood.

As Naruto approached the gate, a small shout could be heard from the top. Soon, the portcullis was raised and the gates opened. A rider also came out, hurrying down the path to great the general. Arriving, the person said, "general, you have returned! We have been expecting you much latter, but your early arrival brings great joy to the men!" "Ah, Vice-captain Isume, it is nice to see you too. So, how are the men doing, anything to report?" said Naruto in response. "Nothing sir, other than the occasional rumor and strange reports by the patrols, everything has been normal," said the vice-captain,

"Strange reports? Tell me, what are these strange reports that the men tell?" asked Naruto with mild interest. "They speak of strange shadows that lurk the deep forests, and of a strange woman wandering the countryside going from town to town doing miracles, things we cannot hope to deem possible without an advanced bloodline. This is where they get even stranger; the men say that the woman's face seems to be ageless. One moment you think she was merely a young woman, than later a mature mother. Her bodyguard had just the same intriguing circumstances. They say he handles himself as a professional soldier, but the sword is nothing as I ever heard described. Straight, but slightly curved at the end, and tipped, almost like a katana, but not quite. The blade had a heron carved at the pommel and gave off a gleam as if it could cut through anything. His was also reported to change color as he went about, blending in to the surroundings. The men say that they are most intrigued about how chakra works, which only military personal know how it works," spoke the vice-captain as he gave the information.

All the while, Naruto and the entourage traveled steadily forward toward the gate. They passed through the gate just as the vice-captain finished giving the information on the strange report. Upon entering the camp, Naruto looked about and observed the men. Neat rows of tents lined most of the camp. A small forge was present near the back and a drill yard was stationed near the middle just south of his tent. Despite his constant reference to his soldiers as men, the legion was not biased toward what gender you were. While there were fewer females in active frontline positions, there were some. Most females though joined the genjutsu corps or the medical corps, using their natural affinity for perfect chakra control to become more effective in those fields.

Nodding toward his vice-captain, he said, "Tell the man to prepare a feast, we will celebrate tonight with the finest meats! As well as ramen of course, nobody should forget about the holey ramen!" Isume, just sighed at his generals antics. While he could be level headed and serious at one moment, when it came to some things like romance and food, he became an idiot. "Also, contact the patrols. If they see the mysterious woman you were talking about and her equally mysterious partner; tell them to bring them me for questioning," said the Naruto in a serious voice, bringing the vice-captain out of his thoughts. "As you will sir" replied Isume, and then turned and trotted off to the communications tent to relay the orders.

Turning back to his entourage, Naruto said, "You can now go and join the rest of the men, and spread the word of the party." A resounding sir was the response, and all but two left the general to join their friends and comrades. The two people who stayed behind were Sai and Sakura Haruno. They were his personal body guards as well as the heads of the 3rd legion assassination and medical corps respectively. They stayed in the same tent as he did only in different compartments. "Well, you too are free to go about, you don't have to stay with me all the time," said Naruto. "Well dickless, with your penchant for trouble, you are bound to get into it sometime before you reach your tent, or do I have to remind you of what happened when you visited Jaka Gaimen and nearly fell into the well there because you were not paying attention to where you were going," responded Sai. "Yes, and I have to actually drag your ass out of that mess and heal you," added Sakura as well.

Becoming depressed from the negative comments, Naruto sighed and turned around and started for his tent. "Why did they have to say that?" he thought as a miniature rain cloud hovered over his head. Arriving at his tent, he went toward his room section. Upon entering, he proceeded to take down his armor. It was not a long process, but it did take some time. After all his armor was off and placed in its place, he proceeded to take a bath. He filled the bathtub with a small suiton jutsu, and then proceeded to heat it with a small katon jutsu. Walking in, he relaxed into water and sighed. It was just plain relaxing.

Hours passed, and as night started to come, so too did the celebration start to proceed. The soldiers of the 3rd legion certainly knew how to put up a party. A great fire was started in the middle of the drilling grounds. Large kegs of mulled wine and cider were brought out. Several cows and sheep were slaughtered and put to roast on the fire, slowly turning and with spice being added to add flavor. Several tables were set up as the soldiers dined with the meal. A section of the drill yard was left untouched and used as a dancing floor for the few woman and man. Several of the Legion's musicians took up instruments and began to play lively tunes. In another corner, several wrestling tournaments began.

Even if the cider and wine were alcoholic, the soldiers knew better than to get drunk. The general hated drunks in his ranks. The last man who drank himself drunk was demoted and booted out of the legion faster than he could get sober. Thankfully, he was one of the new recruits who thought that the world revolved around him and was generally disliked by his fellow comrades. No one missed him.

Naruto sat at his position at the main table. His heads of the corps, and vice-captains sat with him. To his right were the five vice-captains, Isume Fao vice-captain of the 1st cohort, Konohamaru Sarutobi vice-captain of the 2nd cohort, Tenten vice-captain of the 3rd cohort, Jao Kan vice-captain of the 4th cohort, and Hobiramu Tosku vice-captain of the 5th cohort. To his left were the heads of the corps, Sakura Haruno head of the medical corps, Sai head of the assignation corps, Jinseng Hobiro head of the sealing corps, Kai Nao head of the genjutsu corps, and Fumi Jasta head of the ninjutsu corps. They each headed their respective branch in the legion. While the heads of the corps did not lead specific units in battle, each cohort had a designation of each of the five corps in their ranks. The heads had responsibility for the corps training and preparation, but the soldiers themselves ultimately fell under the leadership of the vice-captains. The Heads though were all official bodyguards of the general.

"Ah, ramen, how I missed you," said Naruto. Everybody at the table sweat dropped at the statement. Sometimes their commander really acted like a fool, if not rarely. They just shrugged it off and continued on with their eating. Celebrations like this were not too big among them as usually they have to be awake next morning to organize the eventual clean up.

A sentry soon walked at the table. He bowed at the general and said, "Sir, a patrol has just come in and the mysterious women and her partner are with them." Naruto, now intrigued by the news, rose from his chair and said, "Well gentlemen and ladies, I have somebody to meet with now." He gestured toward Sakura and Kai to come with him. He turned to Sai and said, "Go to the walls and check on the guards, see if anything unusual is happening out in the woods." Night already fallen by then. Sai, knowing the dangers that lurked with during night, nodded his head and proceeded to check on the guards.

It was a quick walk to his tent. Naruto was now completely intrigued of the new characters. People like them were not from around the elemental nations. If she was a spy for the Horde, then she was being very obvious. Though, one cannot be too careful among such people. Nodding toward Sakura and Kai, he stepped into the tent. Upon entering he looked at the new comers. The woman was petit, only slightly smaller than Sakura. She had a blue fabric draped across her shoulders, and an elegant, but not quite fancy dress as her attire. He noticed that the dress was split like regular pants to allow easy riding of horses, and as well that the dress was not from the elemental nations. While it could have come from the west, he doubted it as it matched no descriptions of any female clothing from the area.

Her partner further solidified his assumption that they did not come from the west. He wore a steel breastplate, made from one sheet of metal the covered most of his front. A ridged helmet adorned his head and metal bracers and footpads were on his arms and legs. A dark green cloak was draped over the armor and seamed to shift colors and blend in when he stood still. He had a sword strapped to his back, almost as long as a katana. His armor defiantly marked him as neither westerner nor easterner, nor any of the island nations surrounding the main land.

Walking up to them, he said, "Greetings, I am Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, general of the 3rd legion. Now who might you two be as I have heard many rumors of your exploits in the neighboring towns?" The two shared a look as to confirm their thoughts then turned to Naruto. The woman finally spoke, "I am Seidra Allmond Sedai, and this here is my warder Notring of Cairhein. We have traveled far and seek knowledge of lands abroad. My travels have brought me here, a place with very interesting historical background."

"Please sit down, I am intrigued also in history, but further more on why you are asking about my Legion?" asked Naruto, being very polite in hopes to see how the woman and her partner responded. He could see the obvious intelligence in her eyes, the cunning gleam he saw once too often in his younger days on the honorable elders. They held nothing but bad news to any self-respecting ninja, even one turned general.

"Boy, you may lead an army, but you still are small in my eyes. Tell me, how many men have you killed? Better yet, how many wars you fought?" said Notring. Naruto scowled at the man, he obviously did not have any respect for him. His response in a cold harsh tone was, "I should be asking you that question. I have fought in one war at the age of 15. By my 16th year, I had killed over a thousand men in over two major engagements. In the western lands, I am known as Naruto, the kiiro nin no gyakusatsu mono, or the yellow man slaughterer." Notring, did not show any emotion but, on the inside was clearly impressed. If what he said was true, he would be considered a great soldier and general back in Cairhien. "Bah, you could be only saying that to impress me, I…" was his rebuttal in an attempt to see how the man would react. What he did not expect was a yellow flash and cold steal pressed to his neck in a killing stance. "I would hold your insults as I have no patience for them," said Naruto as he leaked killing intent from his body. Notring shivered, the odd sensation that came from the man put him on edge. It was almost as if an Aes Sedai was in the room meddling with the psyche.

Naruto held the killing intent for a few more seconds, and then released it along with his hold on the man. He turned and walked back to his chair. Sitting down again, he said, "I hope we got that out of the way, now I ask again on to why you were asking about my Legion." Seidra, now very much on guard after the display of power the man possessed, chose her words carefully. "We were looking for you and your army to see if we could acquire your assistance in hunting down a group of Trollocs. They seem to plague the countryside and we have spotted traces of large numbers moving here and there," said Seidra in an attempt to ease the man. What she had not counted on were several important details. First, the people of the land had no idea of what a Trolloc was, having never seen one. Second, an outsider helping was considered suspicious and trusting them could be potentially dangerous.

"I do not know what you speak of. I have never heard of anything called a Trolloc before. Neither had I heard of complete strangers helping out other complete strangers without reason. Now I repeat, why were you asking about my Legion, or should I have a Yamanaka come and interrogate you?" asked Naruto in a harsh voice, running out of patience with the pair. "Bah, she is Aes Sedei, she cannot lie you fool. As for Trollocs, they are big dumb brutes that love to pillage and plunder, eat humans, and sleep," was Notring's reply. Naruto narrowed his eyes, He had never heard of Aes Sedei, and just from her eyes and posture he did not trust her. He had not heard of Trollocs either. His response was, "Fine, you have chosen not to comply. You have been given a chance to come clean, but clearly you hid something." With that, he activated the paralysis seals on the chairs. "Sai!" shouted Naruto. Sai immediately entered the room and looked at Naruto. "I want you to fetch Rei Yamanaka to mind read these two individuals," said Naruto. Sai nodded and rushed out from the tent.

Meanwhile, Seidra and Notring were having puzzling thoughts of their own. The man had made only a rudimentary gesture and now they were paralyzed in their seats. How it happened, they did not know. Now though they were worried about the prospect of having someone read their minds. An Aes Sedai prided their secrets, and the prospect of mind readers in this strange land was very discerning. Their fears soon came into realization when a man with orange blond hair in a flowing ponytail came into the tent, along with the man called Sai.

"Rei, I want you to read their minds and tell me if they have any ill will toward the Legion or Fire Country," said Naruto. Rei nodded his head and proceeded to start the mindreading. He chose the woman first as the man seemed to not know as much as she. What he found, was shocking. The woman who appeared before him who looked no more than 30, was in truth 58 years old. The land she came from was very strange as they used something like chakra but a bit different. He then looked at the memories from recent times and became immediately alarmed. If what they though was true, then the Legion could be in dire trouble very quickly.

"Sir, we might have a problem," responded Rei a bit later after the mind reading. Naruto now on immediate alert quickly asked, "What is it Rei, are they spies?" "No, it's that we ar…" Rei started to Say, but a quick series of Horn calls foreign to him stopped his reply. The great roar following the horns put them on immediate alert. What confirmed their fears were the following distress horns from the tower guards blown with obvious haste. They were under attack.


End file.
